Serbia, Kosovo agree on new border policy, EU says

BELGRADE, Serbia

Serbia and Kosovo on Saturday agreed on a new border policy under an EU-facilitated dialogue process, said the bloc’s foreign policy chief.

“We have a deal. Under the EU-facilitated Dialogue, Serbia agreed to abolish entry/exit documents for Kosovo ID holders and Kosovo agreed to not introduce them for Serbian ID holders,” Josep Borrell said on Twitter.

He said the EU congratulates both Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti over the deal.

“Kosovo Serbs, as well as all other citizens, will be able to travel freely between Kosovo & Serbia using their ID cards. The EU just received guarantees from PM Kurti to this end,” Borrell added.

Kurti and Vucic last week took part in the talks chaired by Borrell, which aimed at defusing tensions over Kosovo’s plans to make it mandatory for everyone, including Serbs living in the north, to have a Kosovo ID card and license plate.

Launched in 2011, the EU-led Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue aims to normalize relations between the Western Balkan neighbors.

The last high-level meeting with the participation of Kurti and Vucic took place on June 15, 2021.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, with most UN member-states, including the US, UK, France, Germany, and Türkiye, recognizing it as a separate autonomous country from its neighbor.

Serbia continues to see Kosovo as its territory.